The New York Mets salvaged the final game of their three-time series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 7-6 victory at PNC Park.
Trailing 6-0 after the first inning, New York was within a run at 6-5 in the top of the ninth when Michael Conforto came up with his biggest hit of the season, a two-run home run to put the Mets ahead.
New York rallies from six-run first inning deficit to stun Pittsburgh
It looked like the Mets would get their offense going early as Brandon Nimmo walked, Pete Alonso singled and J.D. Davis was hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh starter J.T. Brubaker. He escaped the jam by striking out Dominic Smith and getting Conforto on a groundouts to end the inning.
In the bottom of the first, Pittsburgh got to New York starter Taijuan Walker as Wilmer Difo doubled and Bryan Reynolds drove him in with a single for the game's first run. Ben Gamel walked and John Nogowski doubled home Reynolds and Gamel to make it 3-0 Pirates. Gregory Polanco walked and stole second after Nogowski had taken third on the previous play.
Michael Perez walked to load the bases with just one out. What followed was one of the most bizarre plays of the year as Kevin Newman hit one off of his foot that initially went foul, but rolled back into fair territory. Walker tried to bat the ball into the dugout and while all of this was going on, all three runners scored to make it 6-0. New York manager Luis Rojas was ejected arguing the call.
Walker was pulled after Brubaker walked, getting just one out. Drew Smith came in to record the final two outs of what was the Mets worst inning of the year.
In the top of the third, New York was on the board as Nimmo walked and Jeff McNeil singled to put runners on the corners with only one out. Davis struck out for the second out, but Dom Smith singled in Nimmo to make it a 6-1 game. Drew Smith went 2 2/3 excellent innings.
Jonathan Villar and Tomas Nido singled in the top of the fourth, setting the stage for pinch-hitter Travis Blankenhorn, who deposited Brubaker's first pitch into the Allegheny River to cut the Pirates lead to 6-4. Nimmo walked for the third time in the game and Alonso hit a grounder that Brubaker could only deflect. After McNeil lined out, he was pulled for Chris Stratton, who walked Davis, but Dom Smith flew out to end the threat.
Stratton got into and out of trouble in the top of the fifth as Conforto walked and Nido singled to put two men on with only one out. Pinch-hitter Luis Guillorme lined out to Polanco for the second out and Nimmo struck out to end the inning.
A one-out walk by McNeil and a two-set base hit by Smith off of lefty Austin Davis made it 6-5 after a bobble on the relay allowed McNeil to score all the way from first. Pittsburgh loaded the bases with no outs against Aaron Loup on singles by Perez and Newman before hitting former Met Phillip Evans. He struck out Adam Frazier, Difo and Reynolds to keep it a 6-5 game.
After both bullpens kept the game at 6-5, that set the stage for the top of the ninth. Pittsburgh brought in closer Richard Rodriguez and he gave up a leadoff single to Smith. Conforto then blasted his fourth home run to put New York in front for the first time. In the bottom of the ninth, Trevor May came on for his second save of the season.
Jeurys Familia picks up the win and improves his record to 5-1. Rodriguez takes the loss and is now 4-2.
The Mets continue their road trip on Monday for three games in Cincinnati. Jared Eickhoff will start for New York in the opening game of the series while Vladinir Gutierrez gets the call for the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm.